Cycling at Derwent Dam.
We all need a
LOCAL ACCESS FORUM If you like being active outdoors then you’ll love a LAF (Local Access Forum). Did you know, the Peak District Local Access Forum has just turned twenty?
PHOTO: TOM MARSHALL
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Miles Without Stiles is a guide to accessible routes in the Peak District available from National Park visitor centres and online shop.
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www.peakdistrict.gov.uk
ossibly one of our least well known volunteer groups, the Local Access Forum deals with access and rights of way developments and improvements. It is the important link between people who actively enjoy the countryside and the National Park Authority and highways authorities, like Derbyshire County Council. An independent advisory group, the Local Access Forum helps local authorities make better informed decisions about access to land, open air recreation and public rights of way, for everyone’s benefit. Its 22 members are passionate about the many forms of public access in the Peak
District, whether that is walking, biking, climbing, running, or access to water. Each brings to the table their specialist knowledge and experience. Some are land managers, some are farmers, some are in business, and some work for partner organisations. All are keen to ensure that opportunities are as well managed as possible and open to everyone. John Thompson, who chairs the Peak District Local Access Forum, says: “Without the Local Access Forum there would be little opportunity for people who are enjoying the National Park to engage with the people who are managing it – whether they be the authorities or landowners. The LAF provides
